StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
The last outing went very well for its teeny peloton, and a few people have suggested they'd be interested in a rerun as they couldn't make last time, so here goes....
Starting from HPC, last time was 7.30 but depending on attendees' preferences regarding lunch stops we could make it a bit later, then running down via Putney Bridge, Richmond Park (either round the edge or, as per Geoffrey's suggestion last time, down the middle then Teddington and Bushy Park), Esher, Cobham, Plough Lane and Ripley. Tea stop there, at the most excellent Nest Cafe, before progressing on through Guildford and Godalming. After that, it'll be either the tried-and-tested lumpiness either side of Haslemere, sadly always worse going south (or so it feels to my legs and cardiovascular system) or, subject to recce, a more gentle alternative via Elstead, Thursley and Bordon. Lunch stop either there or Haslemere depending on route taken, unless we're making really, really good time. Then down to Petersfield, and from there either the longer but more pleasant westward route via East Meon to the top of Portsdown Hill (one long and deceptively steep drag), or the shorter route via Buriton (very steep and nasty little climb) which has the considerable disadvantage of leading into Leigh Park. Then as flat as an extremely flat pancake until the seafront. Hopefully we might be be in time to be able to get into the Castle this time, but the view is still great if it isn't. Usual rules about no-one being left behind and so on will of course apply. Should anyone need to bail, we'll never be too far from the nearest station. Frequent train services to Waterloo (quicker more frequent but pricier) and Victoria (half the price, but one an hour and they can be like cattle trucks) for those who don't feel like riding home (or whose home isn't three miles away).
After entirely unwarranted comparisons with a certain Dodo's penchant for understating climbs, I'll be absolutely clear about this....
It's not flat.
It's really, really, not flat.
Like 4,000ft of climbing and never really settles over the best part of sixty miles not flat.
A geared lightweight bike is emphatically recommended. Walnuts did OK SSing, but he has bigger thighs than most, and he was regretting it at times.
Starting from HPC, last time was 7.30 but depending on attendees' preferences regarding lunch stops we could make it a bit later, then running down via Putney Bridge, Richmond Park (either round the edge or, as per Geoffrey's suggestion last time, down the middle then Teddington and Bushy Park), Esher, Cobham, Plough Lane and Ripley. Tea stop there, at the most excellent Nest Cafe, before progressing on through Guildford and Godalming. After that, it'll be either the tried-and-tested lumpiness either side of Haslemere, sadly always worse going south (or so it feels to my legs and cardiovascular system) or, subject to recce, a more gentle alternative via Elstead, Thursley and Bordon. Lunch stop either there or Haslemere depending on route taken, unless we're making really, really good time. Then down to Petersfield, and from there either the longer but more pleasant westward route via East Meon to the top of Portsdown Hill (one long and deceptively steep drag), or the shorter route via Buriton (very steep and nasty little climb) which has the considerable disadvantage of leading into Leigh Park. Then as flat as an extremely flat pancake until the seafront. Hopefully we might be be in time to be able to get into the Castle this time, but the view is still great if it isn't. Usual rules about no-one being left behind and so on will of course apply. Should anyone need to bail, we'll never be too far from the nearest station. Frequent train services to Waterloo (quicker more frequent but pricier) and Victoria (half the price, but one an hour and they can be like cattle trucks) for those who don't feel like riding home (or whose home isn't three miles away).
After entirely unwarranted comparisons with a certain Dodo's penchant for understating climbs, I'll be absolutely clear about this....
It's not flat.
It's really, really, not flat.
Like 4,000ft of climbing and never really settles over the best part of sixty miles not flat.
A geared lightweight bike is emphatically recommended. Walnuts did OK SSing, but he has bigger thighs than most, and he was regretting it at times.
). Provisional route plan will follow at some point.
